Rower named Athlete of the year
City’s Dan Bullock honoured for results, leadership
Peterborough rower Dan Bullock’s continued improvement was recognized by Row Ontario.
Bullock was named Athlete of the Year at Row Ontario’s annual conference on Saturday night. The award is based on competitive results, leadership and community involvement. In 2018 the Peterborough Rowing Club and Trent Excalibur rower shone in all three areas.
Bullock’s greatest success in 2018 came at the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta where he earned triple gold medals but his performance there was rooted in a disappointing result two years earlier on the renowned course at St. Catharines.
The Henley is the top regatta of the summer season with over 2000 entries from 124 rowing clubs across Canada and the United States. At Henley, there is only a gold medal. There is no medal for second or third place. In 2016, Bullock was racing in the under-23 single scull and was leading the race with open water as they came into the final metres of the course. A bad stroke and he placed a disappointing second.
He came back in 2017 and represented Ontario at the Canada Summer Games, winning gold in both the men’s quad and eight. Finally, this year was Bullock’s year at the Henley. His hard work, training and determination paid off with gold in the U23 single, the men’s senior double and the championship eight. Three Henley gold in one week.
Surprisingly, Bullock says his most memorable moment in rowing is that second place finish in 2016.
“Some people may have found this discouraging but after the initial disappointment it was a huge motivator for my training over the following two years,” he said.
Bullock is not only a skilled and dedicated rower. He demonstrates great sportsmanship. He is a leader both on and off the water. He contributes by coaching high school rowers and actively participates with rowing at Trent University. He organizes logistics for regattas, like loading of the trailer and even jumping in to help repair boats when needed.
Bullock’s focus for his winter training is to be selected to the U23 National Team next summer.
Bullock started rowing as a Grade 9 student at St. Peter’s high school. His older brother had rowed for one year in high school but this provided Dan with the opportunity to see his first rowing regatta.
“I remember attending one of his regattas and thinking that the boats were really cool and that everyone was having a lot of fun,” said Bullock.
He is now in his sixth year with the Peterborough Rowing Club. The PRC is located on the Otonabee River at Trent University.
The Club aims to change lives by providing access to the sport of rowing through quality programming, inclusive of all abilities and ages. With members ranging from novices to world champions to masters.